Photography Major: Graduates, International Students, Colleges and Careers

Overview

Photography is an artistic and technical discipline that focuses on capturing images through the use of cameras and various photographic techniques. It combines elements of art, technology, and communication, allowing individuals to express their creativity while also documenting the world around them.

In a typical photography program, students learn about the fundamental principles of photography, including exposure, composition, lighting, and editing. They explore various genres such as portrait, landscape, documentary, and fashion photography, which enables them to develop their unique style and approach.

Hands-on experience is a key component of photography education, as students engage in practical assignments that involve shooting in different environments and conditions. They often have access to state-of-the-art equipment and software, allowing them to experiment with both traditional film and digital photography.

Moreover, photography programs often emphasize the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context of photography, encouraging students to analyze iconic works and the evolution of photographic techniques over time. This helps students to appreciate the medium's impact on society and its role in visual storytelling.

Graduates in photography can pursue various career paths, including commercial photography, photojournalism, fine art photography, and teaching. They can work as freelancers or within organizations, contributing to publications, advertising agencies, galleries, and more. Ultimately, a degree in photography equips individuals with the skills and knowledge to convey powerful narratives through visual imagery, making it a dynamic and rewarding field.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

1,947 02

2,119 03

2,373 04

2,578 05

2,727 06

2,603 07

2,717 08

2,627 09

2,842 10

2,736 11

2,761 12

3,108 13

3,087 14

2,660 15

2,341 16

2,220 17

1,934 18

1,859 19

1,969 20

1,759 21

1,845 22

1,748 23

1,702 24

1,625 25

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2002 to 2025, graduates fell 17% and the international share went from 6.2% to 10.4%.

International share (%)

6 02

6 03

5 04

4 05

3 06

4 07

4 08

4 09

4 10

4 11

4 12

5 13

5 14

7 15

8 16

10 17

11 18

11 19

13 20

12 21

10 22

12 23

11 24

10 25

Graduates by group, 2025

White

47.2%

Asian

5.1%

Hispanic

18.8%

Black

9.2%

Other

9.3%

Intl.

10.4%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 148 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

Rank	School	State	Graduates	International
#4	Yale University	Connecticut	10	3
#31	New York University	New York	44	10
#34	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	Illinois	5	0
#42	Northeastern University	Massachusetts	7	1
#55	University of Miami	Florida	1	0
#55	The Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania	9	1
#72	Syracuse University	New York	10	3
#80	Drexel University	Pennsylvania	16	0
#95	American University	D.C.	3	1
#95	Rochester Institute of Technology	New York	47	5
#109	Temple University	Pennsylvania	9	1
#116	Brigham Young University-Provo	Utah	7	1
#121	University of Central Florida	Florida	4	0
#121	Loyola University Chicago	Illinois	4	0
#121	University of Dayton	Ohio	1	0
#137	St John's University (NY)	New York	2	0
#137	University of Houston	Texas	19	0
#156	Virginia Commonwealth University	Virginia	45	0
#179	Seattle University	Washington	3	0
#202	Ohio University-Main Campus	Ohio	1	1
#208	California State University-Sacramento	California	29	0
#208	University of La Verne	California	2	0
#208	Belmont University	Tennessee	2	0
#227	The New School	New York	93	23
#250	University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth	Massachusetts	2	0
#262	Andrews University	Michigan	1	0
#276	Northern Arizona University	Arizona	20	0
#276	California Baptist University	California	6	0
#288	University of Hartford	Connecticut	11	0
#288	Arcadia University	Pennsylvania	4	0
#288	Texas State University	Texas	20	0
#299	Concordia University Wisconsin	Wisconsin	1	0
#308	Oakland University	Michigan	1	0
#308	Maryville University of Saint Louis	Missouri	6	0
#308	University of the Incarnate Word	Texas	3	0
#317	Ferris State University	Michigan	3	0
#332	Point Park University	Pennsylvania	5	0
#376	Barry University	Florida	4	1
#382	Wilmington University	Delaware	1	0
#382	University of Southern Maine	Maine	3	0
#382	East Texas A&M University	Texas	3	0
LAC #34	Spelman College	Georgia	2	0
LAC #128	SUNY at Purchase College	New York	17	0
—	Southern New Hampshire University	New Hampshire	247	0
—	Savannah College of Art and Design	Georgia	104	13
—	School of Visual Arts	New York	76	48
—	Columbia College Chicago	Illinois	51	3
—	Academy of Art University	California	50	9
—	Pratt Institute-Main	New York	44	7
—	California Institute of the Arts	California	21	8
—	Freed-Hardeman University	Tennessee	21	0
—	Modesto Junior College	California	16	0
—	Northern Virginia Community College	Virginia	16	1
—	Suffolk County Community College	New York	16	1
—	Rhode Island School of Design	Rhode Island	15	4
—	Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design	Colorado	14	0
—	Delaware Technical Community College-Terry	Delaware	14	0
—	Daytona State College	Florida	14	0
—	Art Center College of Design	California	13	2
—	Universidad del Sagrado Corazon	Puerto Rico	13	0
—	Massachusetts College of Art and Design	Massachusetts	12	1
—	Citrus College	California	11	0
—	Nassau Community College	New York	11	0
—	New York Film Academy	California	11	9
—	Maryland Institute College of Art	Maryland	10	3
—	College for Creative Studies	Michigan	10	0
—	Saint Edward's University	Texas	10	1
—	Cabrillo College	California	8	0
—	Luzerne County Community College	Pennsylvania	8	0
—	Sam Houston State University	Texas	8	0
—	Cypress College	California	7	0
—	Santa Ana College	California	7	0
—	Miami Dade College	Florida	7	1